German Head Office Langemarckstr. 210 28199 Bremen Germany PH: +49 421 / 598 28 8 Fax.: +49 421 / 598 28 72

Press Office Nernstweg 32 22765 Hamburg Germany PH: +49 40 / 380 892 0 Fax.: +49 40 / 380 892 14

Bonn / Hamburg, 18th June 2003 deutsche Version... Resorts: Economics/Environment Deutsche Post and McPaper abandon paper from destruction of rainforests In response to ROBIN WOOD's requests the German postal service Deutsche Post AG confirmed that it has stopped selling paper which contributes to the destruction of rainforests on the Indonesian Island of Sumatra in branches of Deutsche Post and McPaper. In addition, Deutsche Post plans to introduce binding buying standards for paper and expand its range of recycled paper, as Monika Wulf-Mathies, Deutsche Post Director for Policy and Environment, explained in negotiations with ROBIN WOOD representatives in Bonn yesterday. Earlier this year, ROBIN WOOD had discovered printing paper produced by APRIL in branches of Deutsche Post and its subsidiary firm McPaper. The giant pulp and paper combine APRIL is largely responsible for the destruction of the last native forests on Sumatra. According to Ms Wulf-Mathies Deutsche Post and McPaper no longer sell the paper in question, which is labelled Dunia Mas. In yesterday's meeting the environmentalists presented Deutsche Post with a list of issues, which includes a definition of buying standards for paper which is based on fresh fibre. ROBIN WOOD demands that only products may be purchased which are not made of fibre sourced from destructive practices in either rainforests or Nordic forests and that the products' origin is clearly documented. Ms Wulf-Mathies announced that Deutsche Post would consider ROBIN WOOD's proposals in designing a new environmentally acceptable buying strategy. This increases the pressure on the wholesale market to finally offer "clean" products. Last year, the chain of department stores Karstadt ceased selling paper from Indonesia following ROBIN WOOD's protests. "Self-imposed guidelines are an interim solution. It is essential that the German Government introduces legal obligations to prevent the import of products sourced from illegal logging and destruction of primary forests,” explains ROBIN WOOD's Expert on Tropical Rainforests Jens Wieting. Ms Wulf-Mathies mentioned to ROBIN WOOD that Deutsche Post and McPaper would also expand and actively promote their range of recycled paper. There are still improvements to be made regarding Deutsche Post's internal consumption of paper. A recent environmental report reveals that the combine used over 55,000 tons of paper in 2001, only 40 percent of which was recycled paper. Should you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us at any time: Rudolf Fenner, Expert on Forests, PH: +49 40 / 380 892 11, wald@robinwood.de Jens Wieting, Expert on Tropical Rainforests, PH: +4940 / 380 892 18, tropenwald@robinwood.de Ute Bertrand, Press Spokesperson, PH: ++40 (0)40 / 380 892 22, presse@robinwood.de